Move over consultants, researchers and brand builders. Corporate India is increasingly banking on Vaastu Shastra and Feng Shui principles to perk up its balance sheet. And India Inc is climbing the Vaastu value chain as it embraces magnetic fields, energy flow and pyramids that are seen as impacting company performance. Surprisingly, it is not just traditional Indian business houses that swear by Vaastu, but also new economy businesses like XT and ITeS.

Vaastu Shastra is the ancient Indian philosophy of planning and architecture. Indian companies and MNCs do not mind shelling out a few lakhs to get the Vaastu right in their offices, manufacturing facilities and warehouses.

“Many corporates, both Indian and multinational, want to ensure Vaastu compliance for their new constructions. To rectify Vaastu flaws in existing constructions, they are even willing to go for remedial measures like placing pyramids, figurines of Laughing Buddha or changing the direction of coffers,” said Amit Bagaria, chairman, Asipac Group, a real estate and infrastructure consulting firm.

In fact, few companies are willing to demolish a part of the office or even change the location to ensure Vaastu compliance. A leading software products company, after two quarters of bad results, is planning to shift its corporate office to a new location, as it believes that the Vaastu in the old office is not right, says industry grapevine.

“CEOs of multinational corporations who come to India after a stint in China, are more particular about Vaastu in their offices, since the importance accorded to Feng Shui in China is much more than it is in India,” Mr Bagaria said.

While MNCs are brushing up their Vaastu wisdom, traditional Indian business houses have progressed to the next stage where factors like magnetic fields, movement of the sun and energy flow are considered before beginning new construction. A number of private schools have also been asking for Vaastu consultancy to set their yin and yang right. “I have worked with a number of branches of Delhi Public School in the country as a consultant,” Vimal Jhanjharia, a north-based leading Vaastu expert, told ET.

In the past 15 years, Vaastu has been revived as far as corporates are concerned. “I have had clients ranging from a leading Korean home appliances company and an Indian multinational dealing in hotels to commodities to London-based shipping companies,” Mr Jhanjharia added.

The trend is especially catching on with businesses in the US where diverse communities including Zoroastrians and West Indians have asked for Vaastu expertise for their business houses.

Source: The Economic Times

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